New Orleans Jazz Fest 2016: Your wet first-Friday forecast and other need-to-know festing info.
The bad news for those planning on attending Friday’s first day of the 2016 New Orleans Jazz Fest: Rain, and perhaps thunderstorms, aren’t at all out of the question.
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FEST 2016
The good news: Things should clear up later in the day, in time to make for a sunny Saturday and Sunday.
That’s according to the National Weather Service’s latest forecast for the weekend.
Which calls for a weak cold front to push through the region late Thursday and Friday morning.
That will make for some fog and a slight chance of showers early Friday, giving way to a stronger chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9 a.m.
As of Thursday afternoon, Weather Service forecasters pegged Friday’s rain chances at 40 percent.
In some areas, strong storms could spring up and produce locally heavy rainfall.
sunny and clear weekend
But forecasters don’t expect the sort of organized severe storms that made such a mess of last year’s opening weekend.
Regardless, it means rain ponchos and rubber boots should be part of any sensible fest-goers’ Fairgrounds gear for Friday.
And, depending on how sloppy the festival grounds get, maybe even Saturday and Sunday, too.
After Friday, however, the rain is expected to hold off until Monday.
With the forecast calling for a sunny and clear weekend followed by at least a slight chance of precipitation every day from Monday through Thursday.
